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A title is a title

Middleton Builders claim 3rd consecutive Senior Little League championship in error-filled game

Daily Mining Gazette/Bryce Derouin Middleton Builders’ Dean Loukus steals third in the first inning as Hancock Bottling’s Ari Rautiola secures the ball Friday in Wolverine during the Senior Little League championship. Middleton won 21-18.

WOLVERINE — Middleton Builders head coach Andy Crouch and Hancock Bottling manager Joe Romano both agreed they never saw their teams commit as many miscues as they did in Friday’s Senior Little League championship game in Wolverine.

The teams combined for 15 errors and 16 walks in a 21-18 Middleton victory that lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes. But a win is a win, and you take them how you can in a title game.

The victory gives Middleton a third consecutive championship in the 13-16 division.

“Kids had a really nice year; it was a lot of fun,” Crouch said. “The kids got better every week.”

Crouch estimates his team had just two errors on the season coming into tonight’s game, while Romano said his team had not committed an error in the last three contests. But mistakes compounded mistakes, and Hancock Bottling’s nine errors led to 12 unearned runs for Middleton.

“We have six 13-year olds, so we’re a young, young team,” Romano said. “I don’t think anyone thought we would get this far, and I’m proud of these kids.

“(The errors) were the deciding factor. (Middleton) is faster than we are and more mature than we are, and they deserve to win after being the best team in our league all year.”

The contest was essentially two different games merged into one, with Middleton making the 10-run, five-inning mercy rule seem like a foregone conclusion before Hancock Bottling cut a 20-6 deficit to 20-18.

Cole Gregiore led Middleton with five RBI and three hits, including a triple that reached the outfield fence, double and a single; his RBI triple tied the game at 1 before Middleton added nine more runs for a 10-1 advantage after the first inning.

“We have some nice ballplayers that can hit the ball, and they came through for us today,” Crouch said. “Cole had a couple nice hits and Gabe Coppo had some nice hits, and the rest of the guys contributed.”

Coppo recorded one of his two RBI on a double to score Hunter Rowe from first for a 20-6 lead in the bottom of the third.

Just when it seemed everyone would be able to get an early start to their weekend, thanks to the mercy rule, Hancock Bottling responded with 12 unanswered runs over the next three innings.

Hancock Bottling’s Dean Jurmu recorded one of his four RBI on a single to score Elliott Majlessi, trimming Middleton’s lead to 20-18.

Eric Salo led Hancock Bottling with four hits, while Owen Salo and Cade Farrell each scored three times.

“They started to believe in themselves,” Romano said of his team’s comeback. “They weren’t down and out. We got them back up and they responded. They took good pitches and hit the ball and did well.”

Middleton allowed 11 walks and had to do without starting pitcher Dean Loukus, who left after 1 2/3 innings with an arm injury.

As the walks piled up and Hancock Bottling mounted a comeback, Crouch was stuck with one thought.

“Good Lord, please throw a strike,” he said.

Middleton’s Connor Baccus was able to do just that, finishing the final 1 2/3 innings with zero walks and one earned run on four hits to preserve a 20-15 lead.

Baccus closed the game with two strikeouts in the final inning.

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